Could my son.....

I have had BPD and associated disorders since I was 12 w/ several hospitalizations. Also all my siblings and myself have some form of ADD. My son is 4 and highly intelligent. His favorite show is the Croc. Hunter and he knows just about every animal in the dictionary but he can't do more than one instruction at a time. Example: I have always had him go pee, flush, wash and turn off the light. I would be lucky if he peed and flushed. Or if I tell him go inside and take your shoes and shirt off he might only get the shoes part? Is this normal for his age? How likely is it that he will have the same issues as me?
It seems that me and all my siblings are intelligent in school related things and have always been in excelerated programs but really lack in other areas. How could I help me son not be the same way?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Try to maintain reasonable expectations. Your question indicates that you have some doubt about whether your expectation that your son be able to follow multi-step directions is reasonable. Children his age do best when they are given one direction at a time, and at most two. Yes, it your expectation that is the problem, not your son. He is acting just like four-year-olds usually do.